Ole Hanson
Encyclopedia
Ole Hanson was an American politician who served as mayor
of Seattle, Washington
from 1918 to 1919. Hanson became a national figure promoting law and order
when he took a hardline position during the 1919 Seattle General Strike. He then resigned as mayor, wrote a book, and toured the lecture circuit, earning tens of thousands of dollars in honoraria
lecturing to conservative civic groups about his experiences and views. Hanson later left Washington and founded the city of San Clemente, California
in 1925.
in Racine County, Wisconsin, the son of Thorsten Hanson and Goro Tostofson Hanson. He was the fifth of six children raised by the Norwegian immigrant couple.
As a teenager, the precocious Hanson worked as a tailor during the day and studied law at night. He passed the Wisconsin bar in 1893, despite being two years too young to practice law. In the end, Hanson never did work in the legal profession, instead going into the grocery business before moving west and going into real estate.
He worked as a real estate developer and co-founded Lake Forest Park, Washington
in 1912 as a rural planned community for professionals in the Seattle
area.
during 1908 and 1909. In 1912 he supported Theodore Roosevelt
for President of the United States
. In 1914, Hanson himself ran for the United States Senate
as the candidate of the so-called Bull Moose Party
. Hanson garnered nearly a quarter of the vote in the five-way race, won by Republican
incumbent Wesley Livsey Jones
with a 37% plurality.
In 1918, Hanson was elected the thirty-third mayor of Seattle.
While in office, he became famous for claiming that he broke the Seattle General Strike of 1919, even though conservative national labor leaders pressured the Seattle unions into ending the general strike and Hanson's intervention mattered little. Nevertheless, he was hailed by some of the press as a defender of public order against labor radicals.
In April 1919, anarchists made him one of the targets of booby-trap bombs
mailed to approximately 30 prominent American officials. Hanson survived the assassination attempt. He resigned as Mayor on August 28, 1919, saying: "I am tired out and am going fishing."
Following his resignation, Hanson set to work writing a book on what he perceived to be the radical menace to America, published in January 1920 in the immediate aftermath of the so-called "Palmer Raids
" as Americanism versus Bolshevism. In this inflammatory tome, Hanson declared:
In Hanson's view, the fact that the 1919 Seattle general strike
was peaceful belied its revolutionary nature and intent. He wrote:
Hanson toured the country giving lectures about the dangers of "domestic bolshevism." He earned $38,000 in 7 months, 5 times his annual salary as mayor.
. Hanson believed that the area's pleasant climate, beautiful beaches and fertile soil would serve as a haven to Californians who were tired of urban life. He named the city San Clemente
after neighboring San Clemente Island
, southernmost of California's
Channel Islands
.
Hanson envisioned his new project as a Spanish-style coastal resort town. He proclaimed, "I have a clean canvas and I am determined to paint a clean picture. Think of it — a canvas five miles long and one and one-half miles wide!"
In an unprecedented move, Hanson had a clause added to all deeds requiring that building plans be submitted to an architectural review board in an effort to ensure that future development would retain Spanish Colonial Revival style influence. Red tile roofs became a stylistic signature of the new community. Hanson succeeded in promoting his new venture and selling property to interested buyers. The area was officially incorporated as a city on February 27, 1928.
Over the years, Hanson built various public structures in San Clemente, including the Beach Club, the Community Center, the pier, and Max Berg Plaza Park, which were later donated to the city. He also had a Spanish Style home built overlooking the San Clemente Pier. This home was later named Casa Romantica
.
The Great Depression
did not treat Hanson kindly. Financially leveraged with mortgages
on his various property ventures, Hanson lost all his remaining holdings, including his beloved mansion in San Clemente. Hanson eventually moved along to launch a new property development at Twentynine Palms
in San Bernardino County, California
.
The city of San Clemente bears numerous reminders of its founding father, including the Ole Hanson historic pool which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. His home in the center of the city overlooking the historic pier was restored and opened to the community as a cultural center.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
from 1918 to 1919. Hanson became a national figure promoting law and order
Law and order (politics)
In politics, law and order refers to demands for a strict criminal justice system, especially in relation to violent and property crime, through harsher criminal penalties...
when he took a hardline position during the 1919 Seattle General Strike. He then resigned as mayor, wrote a book, and toured the lecture circuit, earning tens of thousands of dollars in honoraria
Honorarium
An honorarium is an ex gratia payment made to a person for their services in a volunteer capacity or for services for which fees are not traditionally required. This is used by groups such as schools or sporting clubs to pay coaches for their costs...
lecturing to conservative civic groups about his experiences and views. Hanson later left Washington and founded the city of San Clemente, California
San Clemente, California
San Clemente is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 63,522 at the 2010 census. Located on the California Coast, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego at the southern tip of the county, it is known for its ocean, hill, and mountain views, a pleasant climate and its Spanish...
in 1925.
Early years
Ole Hanson was born in a log cabin in Union GroveUnion Grove, Wisconsin
Union Grove is a village in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,322 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Union Grove is located at ....
in Racine County, Wisconsin, the son of Thorsten Hanson and Goro Tostofson Hanson. He was the fifth of six children raised by the Norwegian immigrant couple.
As a teenager, the precocious Hanson worked as a tailor during the day and studied law at night. He passed the Wisconsin bar in 1893, despite being two years too young to practice law. In the end, Hanson never did work in the legal profession, instead going into the grocery business before moving west and going into real estate.
He worked as a real estate developer and co-founded Lake Forest Park, Washington
Lake Forest Park, Washington
Lake Forest Park is a city in King County, Washington, United States, just north of Seattle. A bedroom community by design, most of the city consists of single-family housing on medium to large-sized lots, with an emphasis on retaining the natural features of the landscape...
in 1912 as a rural planned community for professionals in the Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
area.
Political career
Entering political life, he served in the Washington House of RepresentativesWashington House of Representatives
The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, the legislature of the U.S. State of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 districts, each of which elects two members. All members of the House are elected to a two-year term without...
during 1908 and 1909. In 1912 he supported Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
for President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. In 1914, Hanson himself ran for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
as the candidate of the so-called Bull Moose Party
Progressive Party (United States, 1912)
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
. Hanson garnered nearly a quarter of the vote in the five-way race, won by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
incumbent Wesley Livsey Jones
Wesley Livsey Jones
-External links:...
with a 37% plurality.
In 1918, Hanson was elected the thirty-third mayor of Seattle.
While in office, he became famous for claiming that he broke the Seattle General Strike of 1919, even though conservative national labor leaders pressured the Seattle unions into ending the general strike and Hanson's intervention mattered little. Nevertheless, he was hailed by some of the press as a defender of public order against labor radicals.
In April 1919, anarchists made him one of the targets of booby-trap bombs
1919 United States anarchist bombings
The 1919 United States anarchist bombings were a series of bombings and attempted bombings carried out by anarchist followers of Luigi Galleani from April through June 1919...
mailed to approximately 30 prominent American officials. Hanson survived the assassination attempt. He resigned as Mayor on August 28, 1919, saying: "I am tired out and am going fishing."
Following his resignation, Hanson set to work writing a book on what he perceived to be the radical menace to America, published in January 1920 in the immediate aftermath of the so-called "Palmer Raids
Palmer Raids
The Palmer Raids were attempts by the United States Department of Justice to arrest and deport radical leftists, especially anarchists, from the United States. The raids and arrests occurred in November 1919 and January 1920 under the leadership of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer...
" as Americanism versus Bolshevism. In this inflammatory tome, Hanson declared:
In Hanson's view, the fact that the 1919 Seattle general strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
was peaceful belied its revolutionary nature and intent. He wrote:
Hanson toured the country giving lectures about the dangers of "domestic bolshevism." He earned $38,000 in 7 months, 5 times his annual salary as mayor.
Founding San Clemente
In 1925, Hanson put some of his wealth to work by purchasing a 2000 acres (8.1 km²) tract at the southern tip of Orange County, CaliforniaOrange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. Hanson believed that the area's pleasant climate, beautiful beaches and fertile soil would serve as a haven to Californians who were tired of urban life. He named the city San Clemente
San Clemente, California
San Clemente is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 63,522 at the 2010 census. Located on the California Coast, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego at the southern tip of the county, it is known for its ocean, hill, and mountain views, a pleasant climate and its Spanish...
after neighboring San Clemente Island
San Clemente Island
San Clemente Island is the southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. It is owned and operated by the United States Navy, and is a part of Los Angeles County. Defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 2 of Census Tract 5991 of Los Angeles County, California, it is long and...
, southernmost of California's
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
.
Hanson envisioned his new project as a Spanish-style coastal resort town. He proclaimed, "I have a clean canvas and I am determined to paint a clean picture. Think of it — a canvas five miles long and one and one-half miles wide!"
In an unprecedented move, Hanson had a clause added to all deeds requiring that building plans be submitted to an architectural review board in an effort to ensure that future development would retain Spanish Colonial Revival style influence. Red tile roofs became a stylistic signature of the new community. Hanson succeeded in promoting his new venture and selling property to interested buyers. The area was officially incorporated as a city on February 27, 1928.
Over the years, Hanson built various public structures in San Clemente, including the Beach Club, the Community Center, the pier, and Max Berg Plaza Park, which were later donated to the city. He also had a Spanish Style home built overlooking the San Clemente Pier. This home was later named Casa Romantica
Casa Romantica
Casa Romantica is located in San Clemente, California and was built by Ole Hanson. In 1927, Carl Lindbom was commissioned to design a home with seven-bedrooms, seven-bathrooms that overlooked the Pacific Ocean...
.
The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
did not treat Hanson kindly. Financially leveraged with mortgages
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
on his various property ventures, Hanson lost all his remaining holdings, including his beloved mansion in San Clemente. Hanson eventually moved along to launch a new property development at Twentynine Palms
Twentynine Palms, California
Twentynine Palms is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It was previously called Twenty-Nine Palms...
in San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
.
Death and legacy
Ole Hanson died of a heart attack on July 6, 1940. He was 66 years old at the time of his death. Hanson was survived by his widow and ten children.The city of San Clemente bears numerous reminders of its founding father, including the Ole Hanson historic pool which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. His home in the center of the city overlooking the historic pier was restored and opened to the community as a cultural center.
Footnotes
Works
- Americanism vs. Bolshevism Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1920.
Additional reading
- Jeremy Brecher, Strike! Revised edition. Boston: South End PressSouth End PressSouth End Press is a non-profit book publisher run on a model of participatory economics. It was founded in 1977 by Michael Albert, Lydia Sargent, John Schall, Pat Walker, Juliet Schor, Mary Lea, Joe Bowring, and Dave Millikan, among others, in Boston's South End...
, 1997. - Ann Hagedorn, Savage Peace: Hope and Fear in America, 1919. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2007.
- Terje I. Leiren, "Ole and the Reds: The 'Americanism' of Seattle Mayor Ole Hanson," Norwegian-American Studies, Volume 30, pg. 75.
- Robert K. Murray, Red Scare: A Study in National Hysteria, 1919-1920 Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1955.
External links
- Cliffe, "Know Your Mayor: Ol' Ole Hanson," VintageSeattle.org, November 27, 2007. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
- Trevor Williams, Ole Hanson's Fifteen Minutes, Seattle General Strike Project, Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies at the University of Washington, 1999.